The review was the focus of a quarterly community engagement meeting held in Bauchi, which brought together education managers, school principals, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) members, community leaders, and development partners.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ali Babayo, the engagement serves as a feedback mechanism for identifying gaps, improving strategies, and aligning Bauchi State’s implementation of the programme with national benchmarks.

He said lessons drawn from stakeholders’ inputs would guide policy adjustments and strengthen the delivery of the AGILE life skills programme across participating secondary schools in the state.

Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of SISWACHI, Maryam Mohammed, revealed that the programme is currently facing a shortage of trained Guidance and Counsellors (G&Cs) and community mentors across secondary schools in Bauchi State.

“Initially, the plan was to train 200 Guidance and Counsellors and 100 community mentors. Presently, we have 123 G&Cs and 100 mentors, leaving a gap of about 72 personnel,” she said.

Mohammed explained that the engagement with school principals and community leaders was aimed at identifying practical ways to bridge the manpower gap and achieve the target of deploying 300 facilitators across 100 secondary schools.

Despite the challenge, she described the AGILE life skills component as a valuable opportunity supported by the World Bank, urging communities to take ownership of the programme and sustain its gains beyond the project’s lifespan.

Participants at the meeting agreed that regular reviews and strengthened accountability mechanisms would enhance girls’ enrolment, retention, and completion rates, while also promoting positive social change within communities.